TEDTalk

Do you ever see something on the internet that you can't wait to share?  I just watched a video of a TEDTalk and I can't wait to share it -- the speaker is Frank Warren and he hosts a website called PostSecret where people send him a postcard with an artful secret written on the back.  He updates his website with these postcard secrets and it makes for fascinating reading.  The secrets can be sad, scary, funny, sweet, horrifying, mystifying, remarkable....they are as varied as DNA.  Take a break from what your are doing and check out some secrets.  Who knows, maybe you will end up mailing a postcard to Frank soon.

The Easter Table

It's Easter weekend and the kids have come home to spend some family time.  The weather was typical end of March in Michigan weather -- not really warm but thankfully it didn't snow.  The dining table looked like a breath of spring after a long, snowy winter.

Easter Dinner Menu

Ham

Roasted Asparagus

Butternut Squash Risotto

Mixed Greens Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Fresh Strawberry Meringue Cake

Mismatched place setting

The only thing I bought for the table was a new runner and fresh flowers.  The runner set the tone for the rest of the table and it looks great on the burlap table cloth.  I like a burlap base because it is a great neutral that you can dress up for a formal look with a funky twist - think of burlap as blue jeans for your table!

The mismatched silver plate flatware looks wonderful.  Go to my Etsy shop to see what flatware sets I have available to purchase for your table.

Pricing your products - it's an art

Pricing items is a tricky business.  Too low of a price and people will think your product lacks quality.  Too high of a price and no one is going to take you seriously.  Click on the links and learn how to price like a pro!





{pricing} 46 Random tips to help you price your stuff
Cheaper prices don't help you build goodwill22 Pricing Strategies
22 Pricing Strategies
A Simple Formula for Pricing Your Work

There is lots of information on the internet - some good, some not so good.  There is no one perfect way to price your items.  For me, it is part formula, part gut feeling and doing some research.  Like everything in life, the more you do it the better you get.  There will be bumps along the way -- that's life.  Don't beat yourself up for pricing mistakes you've made.  Learn from your mistakes and carry on!!

A tale of two forks

I sell a lot of vintage silverware on Etsy and sometimes it starts out looking like a lost cause.

This fork a good example of that!

I didn't hold out too much hope to get it clean and bright.

But, with some silver polish (I like to use Parker & Bailey) and a little elbow grease.....

......the fork has new life and will
be welcome on a dinner table
for many more meals.

While I .....

While I made dinner last night I had some visitors in my yard (they have been here a couple of times this week).  There were four of them and they made my evening - along with our delicious dinner.  I made a couple of changes to the recipe (I only had sun dried tomatoes that weren't pack in oil and I used fresh spinach instead of escarole).  It was easy to make and was a hit with my husband! 

Served on vintage Myott's Bouquet from Staffordsire England dinnerware.

Flea Market Style...

Every once in a while I need to get some inspiration and one of the places I like to find it is in magazines. Flea Market Style magazine gives you a fresh look at vintage items that you can actually see having in your home. The pictures are colorful and creative. Right now, Flea Market Style is preparing for their Fall issue and they are looking for people to send them photos and stories of their favorite vintage purchase. If you want to have the chance to be featured in Flea Market Style, click here

Monday catch-up

It's a work at home Monday. Last week was a busy week - several vintage finds were brought home and we had a weekend trip to Champaign/Mattoon IL to see our son and bring him his dog that we have been keeping for the past few months. This was not how she usually looked - she is a busy puppy most of the time.

Here are a few items that I collected over the past week for the antique booth (and my home:) I think I'm going to keep the secretary at home for a while - it is a great work space for me! I've always wanted to have my own desk to keep my junk self organized. There are still lots of empty spots to fill up!!

Vintage porcelain No Parking Signs

Aged and patina'ed christmas ornaments................................

And just in case selling at an Antique mall doesn't work out --- a shoe shine box! Just a peek at what happened last week - hope your week is happy and stress free. Janice